Monthly Archives: May 2019

WHO’S PACKING YOUR PARACHUTE? During the Second World War, Group Captain Giles Gantry took part in more than fifty missions over enemy territory in his Lancaster Bomber.  One night in 1944, when his plane was critically damaged by the German guns, he and his navigator were forced to bail out.  Gantry parachuted straight into enemy hands, and spent a year in a prisoner of war camp, before escaping and returning to Britain. Twenty years later, back in civilian life, Gantry and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, when a man approached their table. “Excuse me for interrupting you.  Are…

Following the National one-day strike on Wednesday, 29 May, we have been advised this morning that there will be a series of rolling strikes that will mean we will be rostering home students on the dates outlined below. This means that on Tuesday, 4 June, there will be no classes for Year 9 and so on for each year level on the dates provided below. Year 9 - Tuesday, 4 June Year 10 - Tuesday, 11 June Year 11 - Tuesday, 25 June Year 12 - Tuesday, 2 July As well as the confirmed dates above, we have been advised of…

Assessment- How much is enough and how many credits are necessary? Traditional grading has a number of shortcomings and a reliance on mathematical precision can, unfortunately, lead students – and parents – to fixate on the outcomes rather than on the learning. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT is reforming their grading policies, moving toward providing rich feedback, but no letter grades, to first-year students. I believe if schools rely too heavily on grades and extrinsic motivators they risk undermining an individual students’ intrinsic motivation and therefore the ultimate goal of producing self-directed, independent learners. The recent NCEA review has…

Parents, whanau and wider community, On the day of the nationwide strike on Wednesday, 29 May Rutherford College will be closed. We will not be open for instruction nor supervision. There are two reasons for this; Both the Board of Trustees and I wish to show our full support to our teachers and all teachers across the country with their pay and conditions claim. There is clear evidence throughout the country that teacher recruitment and retention is reaching a critical point. The numbers of people training to be teachers has fallen significantly and young teachers are not staying in the…

We have a lot of events happening next week. Monday to Wednesday sees our second group of Year 9 students head off to camp. Wednesday, 29 May - School is closed for PPTA Teacher Strike Action. (This does not affect the Year 9 camp, students are due back around 2:30/3: 00 pm). Thursday, 30 May - School finishes at the end of Period 4 (1:25pm) to give staff and senior students involved and attending the School Ball time to prepare. Buses will depart at 1:30 pm except for the 013 that will depart at its normal time. Friday, 31 May …

On Wednesday, 5 June all year 12 students will be participating in the RYDA Road Safety Education Programme, which will be held at Trust Stadium. Students will take part in six interactive sessions, designed to give them a greater appreciation of safety on the roads. I’m sure you will agree that greater road safety is a huge priority considering that more people have died on the roads this year than we have had days. Students are bringing home permission slips which need to be returned swiftly please, as our school camp, the Ball and Queen’s Birthday all approaching rapidly. Please…